Egypt Assists Sailors After Ship Strike Near Russian Port

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday, 19 September, that it was supporting Egyptian sailors caught up in an attack on a cargo vessel near a port in southwestern Russia this month, while officials worked to bring home the body of an Egyptian captain killed in the strike.

The vessel, called the ‘M/V Noran,’ came under bombardment on 13 September, according to the ministry, which oversees consular affairs for Egyptians abroad. The ministry did not specify further details about the nature or origin of the attack.

Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign minister, instructed the Egyptian embassy in Moscow to monitor the fallout from the strike and provide consular assistance to Egyptian crew members who had been aboard the ship. The embassy has since helped arrange the return of eight Egyptian sailors to Egypt, the ministry said.

On another note, Abdelatty directed the ministry’s consular department to remain in contact with the family of the Egyptian ship captain who was confirmed to have died in the attack. Officials said they were keeping the family informed of efforts by the Moscow embassy to recover the captain’s body and repatriate it, a process the ministry said would move forward once conditions stabilize in the area, described as active with military operations, where the vessel is located.

The ministry framed the response as part of its broader mandate to track the welfare of Egyptian citizens abroad and extend consular protection when they are affected by crises overseas.